Should I Consider Minimally Invasive Surgery for Esophageal Cancer?
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      / Updated August 29th, 2022

      Should I Consider Minimally Invasive Surgery for Esophageal Cancer?

      Medical Source: Dr. Raja Flores
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      Who Can Get Minimally Invasive Surgery?

      • A small subset of patients with esophageal cancer may be eligible for something called minimally invasive surgery.
      • Minimally invasive means the procedure is done through a few small cuts made in the body and performed with the help of a camera.
      • While it’s touted as being the less invasive approach, it’s not always the best surgery option for esophageal cancer patients.
      • Be sure to discuss the risks vs. benefits of minimally invasive surgery, as well as “leak rate,” with your doctor.
      There are several treatment approaches your doctor may recommend for esophageal cancer. The treatment route will depend on what type you have and what stage it’s diagnosed at. For a small subsection of patients, something called minimally invasive surgery may be possible. This is surgery that is done through a few small cuts made in the body and performed with the help of a camera. And while a less invasive surgery may sound ideal, it’s not always the best option for every patient.

      “When they say it’s minimally invasive, what do they really mean? We can do it robotically. We can do it laparoscopically,” Dr. Raja Flores, a thoracic surgeon at Mount Sinai Health System, tells SurvivorNet. “I have found that in the majority of causes, they’re compromised with this. And that would be my question to a lot of robotic or laparoscopic surgeons: what is your leak rate? It doesn’t matter if you have six small holes here and your leak rate is 15-20 percent.”

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      “Leak rate” in this context refers to an anastomotic leak, when the two ends of a channel that have been connected together in surgery don’t seal properly.

      Dr. Flores also pointed out that because minimally invasive surgery requires multiple small incisions, instead of one large one, the surgeries may end up being just as invasive as traditional surgery, despite how they are advertised. Whether minimally invasive surgery is possible or the best choice will really depend on the individual’s specific cancer.

      “I’ve been doing minimally invasive surgery for 30 years,” Dr. Flores noted. “It’s something that I believe really does good when the minimally invasive component is really minimally invasive.”

      Questions to Ask Your Doctor

      • Am I a candidate for minimally invasive surgery?
      • What are the risks vs. benefits of getting minimally invasive surgery?
      • What does the recovery time look like for this surgery?
      • What do I need to do to prepare for this surgery?

      Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.

      Dr. Raja Flores is Chairman of the Department of Thoracic Surgery for the Mount Sinai Health System. Read More

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